Critic's picks - visual arts

Dearly beloved

The title promises kitsch, but "Wedded Bliss: The Marriage of Art and Ceremony" at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem goes much deeper than makeup and confetti. Drawing on objects from dozens of disparate cultures, it includes wedding cakes and imperial crowns, origami and gowns, dresses, caskets, chests, jewelry, textiles, paintings, photographs, and fans. At its best, it's intimate, private, even erotic. Through Sept. 14. 978-745-9500, www.pem.org/museum

Building 'Momentum'

The South African artist Nicholas Hlobo's "Momentum" installation at the Institute of Contemporary Art is charming. Featuring a large stomach- or womb-shaped sculpture made of black rubber, suspended from the ceiling and embroidered with meandering lines of colorful ribbon, the installation is inspired by Xhosa culture and has an intricate gorgeousness, a handmade flair, and an ability to seduce both from afar and up close. But it also consists of just three works; and that's not enough. Through Oct. 26. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org

The modern watercolor

The Yale Center for British Art in New Haven is wrapping up its celebration of the centenary of founder Paul Mellon's birth with "Great British Watercolors," taken from the extraordinary Mellon Collection. The show neatly tells the story of how British artists revolutionized the watercolor; by the mid-19th century, it was regarded on equal terms with oil painting, and the achievements of British artists in the medium were a source of national pride. Closes today. 203-432-2800, www.ycba.yale.edu Sebastian Smee